House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is pulling his five Republican members selected to join the House committee that’s investigating the January 6 insurrection, following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to reject two of McCarthy’s picks.
The committee will have Republican representation from one member: Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump who was one of Pelosi’s eight choices to serve on the committee. Still the refusal by the leader of House Republicans to participate is sure to inject even more partisanship into the already high-profile committee.
“Unless Speaker Pelosi reverses course and seats all five Republican nominees, Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts,” McCarthy said.
Earlier Wednesday, Pelosi announced she was vetoing the appointment of two Republicans who objected to the certification of the November election, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana, to the House select committee. Pelosi said in a statement she was accepting three of the five Republicans named by McCarthy earlier this week.
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“With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee,” Pelosi said. “The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision.”
Based on how the committee was created, Pelosi is able to appoint eight members to the commission and McCarthy has five slots “in consultation” with Pelosi
Pelosi said she approved of the appointments of Reps. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota and Troy Nehls of Texas. Banks, Jordan and Nehls all objected to the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Meanwhile, McCarthy is playing a futile game. Democrats have a quorum and don’t need McCarthy to start the investigation.
